Using Europe's waterways - EUbusiness Week newsletter 590

This Week's Top Stories

1. Franco-German bank spat overshadows EU summit
2. EU cuts use of food-based biofuels
3. Data bodies tell Google fix privacy rules or face fine
4. MEPs put foie gras controversy back on the table
5. Zurich eyes cutting corporate tax rate in half
6. Car-packed Sofia sets EU example with solar car charger

Publisher's Note

A neglected part of our transport infrastructure came under review this week in a Commission document "Inland waterway transport and Natura 2000", with new guidelines to ensure that activities related to inland navigation are compatible with EU environmental policy (Birds & Habitats Directives).

The document highlights the importance of integrated planning and ecologically sustainable development. Already around 500m tons of cargo is transported on 40,000km of inland waterways, but the Commission sees a potential to boost exploitation of a sector seen as safe - particularly for transporting dangerous goods - energy efficient and environmentally friendly. Transporting more freight over a network with huge spare capacity could do much to alleviate the busiest parts of the EU road and rail network.
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Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

1. Franco-German bank spat overshadows EU summit

A spat between European powerhouses Germany and France over the best way to end the three-year debt crisis threatened to mar the EU summit Thursday, as anti-austerity protests claimed one life in Greece.
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Fixing the eurozone -- proposals on the summit table

2. EU cuts use of food-based biofuels

The European Commission said Wednesday that it was cutting targets for the use of biofuels so as to reduce the negative impact on food production and prices.
More ...
EU, US should abandon biofuels: UN rapporteur

3. Data bodies tell Google fix privacy rules or face fine

European data protection agencies say Google's new privacy policy does not comply with EU laws and have told the US Internet giant to fix it within months or face legal action.
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4. MEPs put foie gras controversy back on the table

A group of Euro-MPs has joined animal rights campaigners in a bid to ban the production and sale of foie gras across the Union to halt the "torture" of ducks and geese.
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5. Zurich eyes cutting corporate tax rate in half

Zurich, Switzerland's largest city and financial hub, may cut its corporate tax rate nearly in half if foreign firms lose fiscal benefits amid EU pressure.
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6. Car-packed Sofia sets EU example with solar car charger

Bulgaria's car-packed capital Sofia has set an EU example in the fight against greenhouse gas emissions by installing its first state-of-the-art solar-powered charger for electric cars.
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EUROPEAN LAW

UK: Britain intends to opt out of 130 EU criminal justice measures, Home Secretary Theresa May has told parliament.
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EU judge remands Kosovo 'terrorism' suspects
Latest Court of Justice judgements
EU Law Firms
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Inside the EU Institutions

Council Watch

Iran, Syria: foreign ministers on Monday agreed tough sanctions against Iran, aimed at forcing a breakthrough in talks on Tehran's nuclear programme, and also the regime in war-ravaged Syria.
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Debt crisis dominates Asia-Europe finance talks
Montenegro's new gov't faces economy, graft challenge
Council ...

Commission Watch

Commissioner quits: the Commission faced a growing scandal after Health Commissioner John Dalli resigned on being cited in a tobacco-linked influence-peddling fraud probe.
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EU Nobel prize earns praise and ridicule
Barroso presses Romania to act on programme funds
Commission ...

Parliament Watch

Iran: a Parliament delegation is to pay an official visit to Iran from October 27 to November 2 despite opposition within the assembly and a just-agreed package of tough EU sanctions against Tehran.
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Nationalist gains raise stakes across Belgium, Europe
This week, MEPs launched the single market 20th anniversary celebrations; the EP's special committee on organised crime looked at options for tackling organised crime across the EU; and the budgets committee approved aid of EUR 700m for victims of last May's earthquakes in Italy and workers made redundant in Germany and Denmark.
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EU diary

18-19 Oct, European Council
22-23 Oct, European Parliament plenary session
22-23 Oct, Agriculture and Fisheries Council
22-24 Oct, Enterprise Europe Network annual conference
25 Oct, Environment Council
25-26 Oct, European Parliament plenary session
25-26 Oct, Justice and Home Affairs Council
The Week Ahead
Long-term diary

RESOURCES

EU Law Firms
Summaries of EU Legislation
EU Decision-Making
Treaties of the European Union
Key EU Legal Terms

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